In hospitals, and other clinical settings, patient data has traditionally been kept in paper-based medical records. As a patient is cared for, numerous care personnel, including nurses, doctors, and other clinicians, continually update the paper-based medical record with relevant patient information. Containing the relevant care information within a single paper-based medical record generally allows a clinician to quickly ascertain patient condition and the activities of other clinical personnel before making medical decisions. However, the advantages associated with maintaining patient data within a single paper-based file may be minimized if the chart cannot be quickly located or accessed by care personnel.
In fast-paced environments, such as a large, busy emergency room, coronary care unit, intensive care unit, or other hospital unit, charts can be difficult to locate quickly. This is frequently due to the large number of people handling the file, including multiple nurses, laboratory techs, radiology personnel, and physicians. Because the absence of a patient's chart can be debilitating for care personnel, a missing chart is generally accompanied by a frantic “chart search” throughout the hospital floor. A chart search generally involves one or several medical personnel searching from room to room until the chart is found. The time lost in finding a patient's chart may put the patient in jeopardy, may increase the frustration of the staff, and may increase the time and the associated cost of medical procedures. Additionally, for example, in a busy emergency room, time wasted looking for a patient's record may be at the expense of other patients waiting for care.
Although many hospitals have converted paper-based patient files to electronic medical records, paper-based patient files remain the most efficacious means of insuring proper patient care in several clinical areas. For example, in emergency rooms, where numerous medical personnel need to have immediate access to patient data as well as written evaluations of other consultants, the patient records generally stay with the patient as they are evaluated. The value of the paper-based chart in providing immediate access to patient data may be diminished or eliminated entirely if the required data is not readily accessible.
In hospital settings, patients are generally assigned a nurse that looks after their day-to-day needs. In a large, busy, emergency room, as well as other patient care areas, a single nurse may be assigned to care for multiple patients, such that the nurse may not be present when the physician is evaluating the patient. During this evaluation, the nurse is frequently needed to convey information about the patient or to receive orders for patient care. If not present, a “nurse search” generally occurs that includes identifying the assigned nurse and contacting the nurse. To identify the nurse, medical personnel may, for example, contact the emergency room secretary, other nurses, and/or look for the designation on the chart. Once the name is found, personnel generally search for the nurse room to room or try to contact the nurse through an overhead page. Time spent identifying and/or locating the assigned nurse may be substantial, particularly, for example, if the nurse is on break or at lunch. Lost time may put the patient in jeopardy, may increase the frustration of the staff, and may increase the time and the associated cost of medical procedures. Additionally, for example, in a busy emergency room, time wasted looking for a patient's nurse may be at the expense of other patients waiting for care.
Currently, patients generally indicate their desire to be attended to by a nurse or other medical practitioner by signaling a help light, which is often located above their door or at the nurse's station. In a busy clinical environment, such as a large emergency room, a patient's needs may go unattended because the indicators are not seen for extended periods of time. This may be especially true where a single nurse is responsible for a large number of patients.
Even when patient care indicators are responded to quickly by medical personnel, the time required to visit each patient to assess their needs may be substantial. In circumstances where a nurse is responsible for multiple patients, time spent visiting every patient signaling a nurse may detract from the efficiency of the hospital and reduce the time the nurse has to spend with other patients. Time spent addressing minimal patient concerns may reduce the number of patients a nurse can effectively handle or, in the absence of additional nursing staff, may reduce the overall quality of patient care.